Past, Present, Future
by NorthernCharm
Summary: Willow made a deal with the devil, A spell sends Buffy back in time, where things aren't exactly as they seem, What is she? Who is she? She runs into a few old friends and heck! She might even fall in love. Follow her on her great adventure as she fights for her way back home. Time travel. Spuffy.
1. Chapter 1

The witch was beginning to tire rapidly from the constant internal battle raging within her as well as the physical wariness that was beginning to surface due to the constant power draw from her magic use. Buffy sensed the red-head beginning to slow down and kicked herself literally into overdrive, a few roundhouse kicks and accurately placed punches and she had the upper hand almost instantly. Willows head reeled back and blood immediately flew from her open mouth as the slayer placed a well-aimed roundhouse kick to her jaw.

Buffy hesitated just for a mere millisecond and began to gave her friend a sympathetic look, Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but she barely had time to state one of her ever so expected battle quips before Willows head shot up, her once beautiful and soulful eyes now black as coal. Buffy glanced down " _Well this certainly isn't something you see every day"_ She thought. Think tar-colored veins began to reach her red headed friends skins surface. Willow gave a determined, and triumphant grin whilst blood trickled down her nose and dribbled slowly out of her lips.

"Awe it's actually pretty darn sweet that you think you can hurt me Buffy. Sorry but you're going to have to do a lot better than that." Willow smirked "Wills you don't need to do this, we all love you so much...please, please just come back to us, we need you, Tara needs you." Buffy pleaded to her friend. Willows grin was wiped right off her face at her now former lovers name, strong winds began to hurl n circles between the two warriors and books and trinkets of all shapes and sizes flew around their heads. Buffy needed to duck to avoid being nearly taken out with a fertility statue and a pile of watchers journals that Giles had precariously stacked just hours before on the now overturned table in the middle of the magic box-turned Scooby central. Willow threw up her hands to blast the journals out of her path and raised both hands, a swirl of jet black fragments flying from her palms and headed straight for the blonde, Buffy's eyes widened and she leaped to her left but it was too late, the witch had been too quick to draw.

The fragments made instant contact with the slayer and with a screech and a moan Buffy was thrown into the wall, smashing her head against the concrete support pole in the corner of the Magic Box. The redhead gave a half hearted glance at her friend and one side of her mouth turned up in a half smile. "Bye-bye pesky Buffy, say hello to Wills for me" She stated half-heartedly. Willow raised both arms above her head and started screaming, the swirl of books and fragments now swirling around Buffy's fallen form rapidly "Te Selene forcs atra boum Tuleritis et istum et interfectorem eius remouens , Aufero eam ab hoc sæculo. " Willow shouted then there was a flash of light and the Buffy slouched in front of her was gone. Willow grinned at the crackling air and the scent of fresh power. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy when are you going to learn, fists don't have anything over the power I have."

There was a flash of light and the slayer was thrown into something flat and hard, she groaned and her limp form became more taught, the slayer was back in action and coming to, She shook her head and glanced up seeing double and clutching her throbbing head. Buffy shut her eyes for a moment and sucked in a deep breath through her clenched teeth, she lowly blinked a few times and then opened her eyes. Buffy was suddenly aware she was most definitely not in the magic box anymore, that and she had a wicked headache. " _Well Wills you definitely did a number on me this time, what are we going to do with you."_ Buffy shook the sickening feeling beginning in the pit of her stomach off and took a glance around the slayer did a double take, she seemed to be on a cobblestone street. "Ok..definitely not in Kansas anymore." Buffy quipped to no one in particular,

Buffy gasped, the sights and sounds of the tiny village registered somewhere in the recesses of Buffy's brain but she didn't quite make the connection. " _Well no sense sitting in the dirt, first things first find out where the heck I am so I can get back to Willow ASAP."_ Just the thought of her red headed best friend pulled at her heartstrings, she was so so lost Buffy didn't know if she would ever be able to get her old friend back, and get rid of the veiny girl in her place.With that sobering thought she groaned and stood up, the tiny blonde found it hard to gather her bearings at first but she slowly then confidently began to get her strength back stride for stride, Buffy walked along the strange cobblestone street glancing around for any known landmarks or for somewhere she could use a phone to call the gang and give Giles the 411 on the Willow sitch and reconvene later that night, preferable not at the now trashed Magic Box. Buffy walked at a brisk pace now concerned with her ever growing unfamiliar surrounding she kept on for about 5 more minutes until she reached a small green building that's sign indicated it was a bar of some type, at least she figured 'Lethbridge Tavern' meant bar .

Buffy entered the building, as she crossed the threshold she breathed in and noticed that everything smelled a lot sharper. _"Especially the unwashed smells, ew kinda reminds me of Dawns dirty laundry pile that just keeps growing and growing"_ Buffy sighed to herself, her sister was going to be worried sick and of course use her being 'poofed' out of Sunnydale an excuse for as to why she did not have the laundry or her homework done. Buffy looked around as she entered and all the patrons seemed to stop and stare, then of course came the hooting and hollering of the unwashed men while the woman at the bar frowned and turned back to the glasses she was washing. Strangely enough the woman was dressed in an outfit similar in style to the dress Buffy had worn for Halloween many years back.

" _This must be an Oktoberfest themed bar or something of the sort, it's like something straight out of the past"_ Buffy gave a half-hearted smile to the girl at the bar and tried to avoid the stares of everyone else in the room.

Buffy then realized with great care that she could pick out certain scents. She felt so weird and was having a serious case of been there done that. " _De-ja vu much?"_ She thought to herself. The young blonde then took notice of her surroundings noticing what seemed to be the only other room in the building a man was walking out of and seemed to be in mid-zip of his fly. So she then walked until she reached the back room where the restrooms (if you could call them that) we're.

They weren't much that's for sure, the blonde glanced around and took in the small room, large mirrors and a stone basin was in the back corner, while the floor was bare. " _God this place is in serious need of, well anything really, must be keeping with the historic theme."_ Buffy frowned at the lack of running water and necessities. What kind of a bar didn't have running water? This wasn't the stone age. She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulders as she walked over to the basin and splashed some of the luke-warm water on her neck, sighing and happy to be away from the sights and sounds of the smoky room behind her. Buffy then stood up to full height and looked in the mirror, she was at a loss for words when her reflection did not meet her gaze.

Buffy analyzed the situation over and over in her head, " _am I dreaming? Am I dead? No that can't be it would be like last time if I was dead, and hello so not of the good taking a trip down that particular street in memory lane. Think Buffy think!"_ _She could draw no other conclusion then the most obvious one that was poking her in the proverbial butt. That's when it hit her. Vampire. She was a vampire again, that's why she was getting the major wiggins and sense of De-ja vu_ _._

"Oh god I'm a vampire." Buffy whispered her stomach felt like it had flown straight up and into her throat. " _How could this have happened"_ _Buffy thought._ _s_ he paced back and forth in the small space. " _A spell can't turn you into a vampire can it? If it could vampires would be running amok, well more amok then usual and other evil-doers would have most definitely tried it on slayers and she would have totally heard about it."_ _Even if her watcher was being secretive of late. Buffy frowned Giles wouldn't keep something this big from her would he?_

 _Then again he seemed to be doing that time and time again lately what with the big moving back to England thing, then returning theing and then the whole keeping the Evil Willow thing whole big secret, The slayer shook her head. A spell would have been an easier way to kill slayers, and it would have been in the watcher's diaries If there was even a spell. Okay so first order of business find the gang and get into research mode. "Now, where the hell am I?" Buffy questioned aloud._

She looked down at herself now only coming to realize the oh so out of date and definitely retro in the bad way outfit she seemed to be sporting. Buffy had on a very dark purple dress that looked like it came straight out of the movie ' _The Princess Bride'_ it pooled out at the shoulders, and was cinched at the waist dropping right straight down to her feet. She grabbed at her long locks and grasped them in her tiny hand, well at least she was still the same blonde. "Thank god I can't breathe my first priority was finding out where the heck I am, now it's getting the heck out of this Dress." Buffy stated aloud.

Buffy then walked out of the restroom and back into the bar, where the quite drunken men we're falling and laughing about. She tiptoed her way around the loud men, then turned and looked at the scene before her, shook her head and walked back out the door while the catcalls followed.

Buffy then noticed there was a lot of old looking people here, and she didn't mean old like elderly she meant old like dated. They we're all dressed like the olden days... like ALOT. She began to walk down the road "God can this day get any worse?" Buffy stated and looked up at the sky, she then heard a scream. "Oh come on I didn't mean literally!" she shouted back up at the sky.

Buffy took off at a brisk jog, finding it difficult to keep a good pace in the ugly purple dress "It's evil this outfit is pure evil" she muttered. Cries from a nearby alley seemed to grow and she turned right down the cobblestoned roadway. The first sight that came into her view was two men and a woman cowering in front of them, one of the males hissed and went into game-face. "Just my luck of course there would be vampires here to mess my day up even worse." She sighed than attempted to run to the scene before her, but it seemed like she was being constricted from the gown. " _The dress is evil it must be slayed first."_ She thought.

Buffy frowned then ripped the side of her dress all the way down and then tore off about 6 inches of the end. Smiling down at her handiwork she then began running again and approached the scene where the vampire she nick-named mop due to his shag of hair was grabbing the girl with his fangs bared was heading for her porcelain white neck. "Hey! Didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with your food?" She quipped at them. The other vampire who she nick-named Shorty due to his lack of height growled and hit his friend on the shoulder then pointed at the slayer. "Back off she's ours" he hissed out at her, Mop seemed to be the more intelligent of the two and hit Shorty on the shoulder "Mate the lass seems to be rather powerful, can't you sense it." Shorty frowned "She's a vampire eh, get your noggin on straight of course she' powerful but no hit has power over us." Mop shook his head "No mate, I'm serious Fredrick she feels like a slayer." Mop cocked his head to the side curious and Buffy sighed at their recognition she could never surprise any of them anymore "The one and only, here of course to kick your soon to be dusty asses." The vampires growled and Mop dropped the girl as they both rushed her. She soon made quick work of the two fledges with a couple punches and a nearby stick, she looked up at the cowering girl "you better get out of here, go home and don't go out at night again." She spoke quietly to the girl as not to frighten her anymore. The girl nodded in response and scrambled to her feet and took off.

Buffy sighed and left the alley the way she came hoping to get out of what was beginning to look a lot like the bad part of town and find out where she was and how she was going to get home to her sister. The thought of Dawn all alone at home brought back the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she decided to go in search of a payphone so she could call Xander and let them know what was going on and to go home to Dawn as quickly as possible.

Buffy proceeded down the street getting more worried by the minute that she was never going to find anybody who could give her directions this late at night, and she was tiring quickly. Luckily she stumbled along a group of people, soon realizing maybe she was not so lucky as she got familiar tingles on the back of her neck. the feeling gave her shivers along her spine and she quickly shook them off. Vampires. Again. Anticipating what she was expecting as a fight and wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible so she could find a phone Buffy yelled at them.

"Hey didn't your mother ever tell you don't bite off more that you can chew" the vamps turned around and Buffy's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped, there before her on the street was Angel in game face over a young crying woman and a strangely silent man and they wearing Victorian century clothes.

"Angel? what the heck are you doing here? did Willow send you guys too?" Angel smiled "Ah pretty lass just wait ye turn and you'll be next poppet." Buffy came to a halt at that, recognition written all over her face, Angelus in the flesh. The slayer backed up slightly unsure of how to proceed, then Angelus vamped and she took off at a dead run down the street and back to the small village.

Buffy was fleeing so quickly she didn't even notice that anyone was in her path as she reached the sleepy village once again with a crash she knocked a young man with dirty blonde hair and a swirl of coat tails to his feet, with a silent "oof" Buffy followed him to the ground, her feet not seeming to be able to catch themselves. "Oh God I am so sorry!" She shouted at the young man, the man scrambled to his feet and embarrassedly brushed himself off and offered Buffy his hand

"No, no miss the trouble is all mine, I'm a clumsy oaf I am so te-terribly sorry to be so blantly rude to a lady of your st-stature." Buffy reached up to grasp his hand and at the same time caught a glance of the man's quite red face and ears, not to mention his piercing blue eyes and those tell-tale cheekbones that could cut like knives. "Spike?!" Buffy questioned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The young man grabbed her hand and pulled Buffy to her feet "I assure you I am not in possession of any spikes or other weaponry, and as to what I may be doing here? Well I am on my way home from one of the biggest social gatherings of the year, mother is expecting me." Buffy frowned at his admissal, " _Okay definitely not Spike."_ She thought "If I may be so bold as to introduce myself, my name is William Pratt." He offered his hand to Buffy once again and she slowly took it with narrowed untrusting eyes still unbelieving that this was not Spike. After shaking hands with Buffy he rapidly pulled his hands back as if he had been burned.

"My name is Elizabeth "Buffy" Summers" She told him. Finally for once today her brain actually made an important connection when she needed it to. " _William Pratt, William the Bloody"_ the tiny blonde thought. All the facts came flowing to the forefront of her mind thankful that she actually took great interest in reading the diary about Spike and didn't just skim like she did her textbook for Psych.

"Great to meet you William." She smiled while William was at a loss for words with her boldness. "Well, Miss Summers If I may be so forward as to ask but what is it a beautiful creature of your stature doing out so late at night? There are pick-pockets and murderers out a-at this time." His mind immediately went to the recent gossip he has encountered in his social circles about bloody gruesome murders where the victims throat was ripped right out. He shuddered at the thought. "I can take care of myself!" Buffy snapped as William reeled back at her sharp tone not realizing that this was William and not her version of beat-the-Spike, "I'm sorry, William but what I meant was I'm pretty good at self-defence and besides I was just looking for a place in town to stay." She corrected

William smiled but then a panicked look grew upon his face. "You've not secured lodging before this hour?" Buffy shook her head "Blast! you'll never be able to find a reputable place in town to take you in this late at night, especially without a male escort, come you'll stay at the manor with mother and myself." Buffy shook her head beginning to protest "No I ask that you mustn't disagree with me because I will not take no for an answer, come my driver and carriage are just up the way." William held out his right hand to indicate which way his driver was parked and offered his left arm to Buffy to hold onto, Buffy rolled her eyes at the gesture but William luckily missed the gesture and a faint smile appeared on his face as she grasped his upper arm with both hands, even if he did jump away slightly at her touch. "Just this way M-Miss S-Summers Charles has the great black-beasts just up the way."


	2. Chapter 2

William kept looking up at her nervously while twiddling his thumbs, never before had he seen such a marvellous woman, well one that rivaled his Cecily's beauty. Yes Cecily Underwood was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes upon and if he was going to gain her in his favor he mustn't think so rashly about this Elizabeth woman.

Buffy smiled up at Spike, er William god was she ever going to get that straight? It was so nice of him to take her into his home, during the carriage ride she had sadly come to the conclusion that this wasn't just some crazy Oktoberfest stunt and that she was undoubtedly in the past.

"So Miss Elizabeth..." William began but Buffy cut him off "Please William call me Buffy." "Well I've never! A lady of your stature and grace must not go by some frivolous nickname I refuse to call you as such and furthermo-" Buffy cut him off again "William please, you aren't doing me any favours, it's not insulting believe me, where I come from everyone calls me Buffy it's a nick name my mother gave me before she passed." Buffy insisted

William gave her a small smile "Miss Elizabeth I am so terribly sorry to have brought up such terrible thoughts I had no idea, my condolences and thoughts are with you, she must have been such a fine soul to raise such a marvellous daughter."

Buffy's heart ached at the thought of her mother, how she longed to be with her again. "So we agree then?" She asked quietly William nodded in agreement "Of course Miss Buffy." He answered politely

"I'd prefer just Buffy yanno." William opened his mouth to protest but the slayer spoke again "We'll work on it for now ok?" William nodded his ears and face once again turning scarlet

It was the rush of blood to his cheeks that did it, she felt a gnarling in her stomach and a bloodlust surface like she had never felt before, she fought internally with all her might to push the demon deep, deep down back into the recesses of her consciousness.

"Miss Buffy? are you quite alright?" William grew concerned at the look of pain on the tiny blondes face as she grew quiet and squeezed her eyes together. Buffy took in a deep unneeded breath and smiled nervously at him once the feeling had passed. "I'm fine William I'm just hungry, I have a...um...a disorder that gives me great pain if I do not eat properly."

"Dear lord, we must get you to the manor at once, cook can prepare any feast at will, me mustn't let you waste away to nothing." He finished, Buffy groaned internally, How was she going to get herself out of this one. What if she was like Angel and couldn't eat human food? She hoped with all her might that she as more like (She couldn't believe she was saying this) but she hoped she was more like Spike in the way at least that she could somewhat enjoy human food, or at least process it.

Her belly rumbled again _"How am I going to get access to blood?"_ Her eyes widened at the internal question.

The rest of the carriage ride was driven in silence minus a few select times he ushered the driver to 'pick up the pace' for the ladies sake.

"Ahh delightful, the lamps are still on in the walk" William smiled and urged Buffy to take a look out the carriage window at the front yard of the manor. If you could call it a manor, Buffy's eyes bulged out at the castle sized building and the beautiful surrounding yards, you could even catch a glint here and there in the front yard of what appeared to be peacock feathers shining in the lamp and moonlight.

William swelled with pride when he gauged the reaction on the young blonde's face. Despite himself he craved the approval of this young Buffy Summers he wanted to impress her more than anything else in the world. " _Must be because she's such a polite young woman, nothing else"_ he thought to himself.

Buffy was awed at the sight before her as they entered the castle "Wow William you must be like royalty or something, this is amazing! I thought you said this was a manor not a castle!" She gasped out excitedly

"W-well Miss Buffy it is but just a small manor, nothing compared to the noble men and women in town and of course nothing like the Underwood's or the Finn's have on the other side of the way." He stammered as he offered her his hand to follow him out of the carriage and onto the walkway.

"Don't be silly William, it is awesome." William frowned at her use of slang but took it as a compliment either way, "Miss Buffy must ask you to refrain from using such slang in front of mother as she will take great offense to it and I wouldn't want her to see you as such common folk." Buffy made a non committal noise at his admittance

She had always pictured Spike's mother Anne to be forgiving and nurturing, much like her own mother Joyce she had thought that that was why Spike had been so taken to Joyce but maybe it was just another one of William the Bloody's many lies. Buffy was a little broken hearted at that, but quickly snapped out of it remembering what a soulless monster Spike was. Only wasn't she at the moment?

The duo quietly made their way to the doorstep and William chewed at his lip in worry as he walked over the threshold and strode into the foyer where a very frantic Anne Pratt was pacing, clearly she had been up waiting all night for her beloved son to arrive home safe.

Buffy screamed internally as she reached the invisible barrier of the Pratt manor, cursing herself for being so forgetful to a vampires weaknesses.

Anne Pratt was all over her son in a second "William what made you arrive home at this hour?! you were due back long ago! You had your mother in such a fright honestly William what has gotten into you?" she questioned frantically.

William put a hand on his mothers shoulder "You mustn't worry mother or stay up at such late hours waiting for me, I'm not like father you know, besides I ran into this young woman Miss Elizabeth Summers down on her luck and in look of a place to stay and I figured we could give her some English hospitality due to the late hour." At that moment mother and son turned to look at their newest houseguest who was still on the front stoop.

"Well what are you doing still outside my dear, come in, come in you'll catch your death of cold out there at this time of year." Anne strode over to Buffy and ushered her inside.

Buffy smiled at Anne and got the instant feeling she would love Williams mother like her own.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dear god Miss Summers what happened to your gown?" Anne asked alarmingly Williams eyes grew wide and he turned is head to get a better look of her ripped state of undress and then shook his head and went as red as a tomato.

"M-Miss Buffy my s-sincerest apologies I was so ecstatic to meet your acquaintance I did-did not even notice your state. I'll run and get Miss Jennings at once." and with that he bustled up the stairs and out of sight to leave Buffy standing there utterly alone with Anne.

Buffy blushed and looked down at her gown, silly piece of fabric causing so much trouble, then she remembered her encounter with Angelus and she shivered.

Anne looked at the tiny blonde and she made her hear soar "Now Miss Summers, it isn't my business or anyone else's as to the reasoning around the state of your gown, but if you're going to stay in such a town with such prestigious social members such as that of Baywater I highly suggest you keep such occurrences from happening again."

Buffy began to explain but Anne put p a hand to silence her. "You seem so lost in this world child, now tell me where have you come from?" Anne put a hand on Buffy's shoulder and lead her to the sitting room. She bustled around the room lighting candles and such until Buffy found the words to begin.

"Well you see Mrs Pratt-" Anne put up a hand to silence her once again "Nonsense Miss Summers you may call me Anne, I insist on it."

Buffy nodded and continued "Right..Anne well you see I've come a long way, journeyed from California I was in a fight with one of my best friends and she sort of drove me off to here." Buffy didn't tell the exact truth but she figured it wasn't lying as it wasn't exactly far off from what the truth entailed.

"You traveled here all by your lonesome?" Anne questioned and Buffy nodded in response not able to find the right words to answer truthfully. "Your mother let you travel all this way without a proper escort? Just think what that would have done to your reputation...your coming out..." Anne stated mildly concerned.

"My mother, well my mother passed away a few years ago now. And as for coming out I've never came out." Buffy answered. Anne gasped yet again. "Well how long are you expecting to be in Baywater?" Buffy shrugged "for the foreseeable future that's for sure." Anne bunched up her skirts in her hands and rose to her feet, "Well Miss Summers I insist that for the duration of your stay you are to find home and sanctuary at the Pratt manor, and furthermore if you wish to stay for some time I would be honoured to begin the process of your coming out, a lady of your beauty and age should find a decent husband early, well I must say all the young ladies in town just started such this spring."

Buffy opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it, she really was stuck in the past then she would do best to play along and accept the kindness this woman was offering, she was going to need all the help she could get if she was going to try and find her way back to her friends and Dawnie.

It was at that moment that William chose to re-enter the room with the most stunning young brunette woman Buffy had ever seen. "Ahh William you finally choose to return." Anne teased him and turned to face the couple that just entered "Thank you so much for coming to our aid at this hour Miss Jennings, This is Miss Elizabeth Summers she is going to be staying with us for awhile and you are to be her waiting maid, do show her to the south wing of the Manor as I believe she is more than ready to retire for the night."

Miss Jennings nodded and strode up to the slayer and curtsied "Miss Summers, this way" and turned to walk out of the room with Buffy on her tail. The blonde turned to face Anne once again "Thank you so much for this, all of this, I don't know what would have happened to me if William had not have brought me here and you were so nice to me, I'd probably be dead in a ditch and mother always used to speak about the ditches." Anne nodded silently and gave Buffy a wide smile.

As Miss Jennings and Buffy strode out of the room the slayer brushed hands with Williams and her sensitive ears picked up the small gasp he elicited as he jerked his had away and turned scarlet once again.

Once Buffy and Miss Jennings reached the south wing she lead her to a large room with elegant silver and green tapestries, rugs, bed sheets and drapes. The room had a large ornate fireplace in the centre with large bay windows on either side and many other lavish furnishings

Buffy was in awe of the room "What's your name?" She questioned the waiting maid "My name Miss Summers is Coraline Jennings" She at Buffy who in turn said to the girl "Please, none of this Miss Summers stuff, call me Buffy." The maid thought it was quite odd but decided to do it anyways.

"Would you like your bed warmed or the fire lit before I go Buffy?" Coraline asked. Buffy shook her head no as the deep belly rumblings began again "No-no I think you should leave" she snapped at the young maid who then scampered off and shut the door behind her.

Buffy pulled back the duvet and lavish silk sheets on the bed and crawled in, pushing down the demon and trying to think of other things. She quickly fell asleep

In the East wing of the manor William Pratt was tossing and turning in his bed and decided to go for a stroll through the manor. He just couldn't sleep with the tiny blonde on his mind. Every time his eyes began to flutter closed he would picture her soft curves and round hips and he became thoroughly aroused. Then he would curse himself for having such sinful thoughts and tried his best to think of his Miss Cecily.

finally he couldn't take it anymore and threw his red and gold silk covers off of himself and slipped out of bed, pulling his dressing gown and slippers on as the chilly night air bit at his toes and arms.

As he strolled down the long cold halls of the manor his thouhts drifted back to Miss Buffy yet again and he soon found himself in the South wing of his home.


	4. Chapter 4

William was startled when he glanced up and saw his exact location, he was directly in front of the ornate door that was the entrance to where the young woman suddenly plaguing his thoughts was taking quarters. He slowly reached up a hand to the golden ornate knob but came to a screeching halt and rapidly dropped the offending appendage as he realized just what he was doing "Blast! none of this nonsense William" he scolded himself and dashed just as quickly back down the hall as he came hoping that as he passed the East wing that his plain stupidity had not waken his ill mother. William stopped for just a moment to listen and pangs rang through his heart as the weak sound of coughing came from down the long highway "Dammit!" he shouted this was all his fault, if he had have been a good son and just stayed at home instead of being a selfish fellow and going to a social gathering with his mother in such a state she would have been just fine but no she waited worried sick about her only son and the damp London night air probably drove her sickness once again to the surface.

Guilt racked Williams thin form as he sped to his mothers room and ripped open the door, he found his mother laying up in bed a handkerchief in her hand as she rapidly coughed into it. "Mother should I get Coraline to fetch Doctor Landsberg? You should not be experiencing these attacks so frequently and he said to alert him if you began to" William pleaded frantically to his mother, rushing over to her bedside and putting a comforting hand on her frail shoulder. Anne waved him off and dismissed his worried questions with all the care of a grain of salt, "No, no my so d not worry of such things I apoligize for waking you at such an hour, god knows the eventful evening must have tired you out I'm fine just did not have my regular honey and lemon tea concoction before bed as I was in such a hurry." William opened his mouth to argue her point and she placed his hand in both of hers "Really my son I am just fine, don't worry about an old crow such as myself, now off to bed with you!" She gave him a bright smile and he felt even more guilty at the sight of what he instantly recognized as a fake smile, but he knew better then to ignore his mothers requests.

"If you're sure mother, then I will return to my quarters without alerting Miss Coraline" Anne nodded and reached out to envelope her beloved son in a one armed hug. "I will see you bright and early for breakfast now off with you William" He smiled at her joking demeanor and figured the nightly coughing spell must have cleared up for the time being and nodded slowly and back out of his mothers room, closing the door quietly behind him and tip-toed his way back to his room and the confide of his comfy bed. William quickly hopped out of his slippers and dressing gown and under his goose down covers snuggling in and falling quickly to sleep.

Buffy awoke to the sound of birds chirping just outside her window "I'm sorry if I woke you Miss but Miss Anne suggested I open the curtains and let in some of the wonderful springtime sun so that you awoke under the best circumstances, I also took care to draw you a pitcher for washing up and there is an older dress from Miss Anne's younger days sitting just in front of the wardrobe over yonder." The young beauty of a maid looked to Buffy's now-awake form for approval, "Thank you, I appreciate it" and Buffy truly did, she found herself slick with sweat from the heavy covers and she was feeling ever so grubby and grimy from the previous evenings slaying in the god-awful purple gown. _"God yes, I need out of this EVIL dress as soon as possible, and this corset is simply a death contraption"_ she thought to herself give her demons and hell-gods any day over fashion nightmares such as this awful dress.

The maid looked at Buffy for a moment and then drew back the covers that were still atop Buffy's slim form, "Breakfast is at 7:00AM sharp Master William takes leave to his study to deal with financials at 730AM each and every morning and Miss Anne always insists on a family breakfast to bring god luck and spirit to the family for the rest of the day." Buffy's eyes widened in alarm thinking that with the sun clearly risen so high as to emit light into the room that she had missed breakfast and was being a terrible houseguest. The maid must have sensed Buffy's alarm and instantly backpedaled "You mustn't worry Miss it is only 6:40Am you have just enough time to wash up and gather your bearings for the day, and I'll leave you to it." The maid slipped quickly out of the room before Buffy could protest in the slightest and he small blonde groaned at the other girls flighty personality and with a groan she fell back onto the pillows wishing she had gotten more sleep, it felt like she had just had the worst time zone change in the history of like well ever.

William hummed to himself as he strode down the stairs running a hand through his unruly locks and rushing to the dining room the find his mother already seated at the head of the table, "Good morning mother aren't you looking well this fine morning." He crooned to her as he took his seat to the right of her, she placed a doting hand on his and smiled at him "Good morning my son, I hope you slept well?" She inquired "Of course mother, as still as the boulders of Lethbridge." She nodded to him and began to butter her morning bread that was still steaming fresh out of Cooks oven. "Now this young Summers woman is certainly something isn't she William?" Anne inquired William cleared his throat the answer when the woman in question strode into the dining room at that very moment.

"Good morning my dear! I do hope you slept well!" Anne greeted her with a warm smile, Buffy's eyes lit up at her and answered the older woman as she took her seat at the long banquet table to Anne's left. "Of course Mrs. Pratt, Thank you so so much for having me stay here like this, all sudden and stuff and don't worry it won't be for long I promise I will be definitely not overstay my welcome and find another place to stay." Anne was taken aback at her words "Of course not Miss Summers we talked f such things the previous evening you will of course stay here and we will begin your coming out preparations at once and I will hear nothing more on the matter silly girl you are doing no such thing's is she William?" Anne turned to face the young man waiting for him to jump in agreeance to her. "O-of course m-mother M-Miss Summers you will most definitely be staying here with us" William's neck and ears became a beet red and he suddenly found his plate of eggs and marsh greens very interesting.

Anne chortled under her breath and turned to face Buffy "You see my dear that matter is settled you will stay here and that is most definitely final, now eat your breakfast dear you must be starving." Buffy's stomach growled in response, oh she was most definitely hungry, hungry indeed but most definitely not for the large feed of greens and eggs placed before her by the servants, but for something a little more fresh...her eyes bulged out of her head as the servants neck came into view directly in front of her as he placed her plate in its place.


End file.
